Mechanism for associating articles and blanks



Sept. 7 1926. 1,599,155

W, A. WEIGHTMAN ET AL MECHANISM FOR 'ASSOGIATING ARTICLES AND BLANKS Original Filed Sept l5, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTQR ATTORNE.

Sept. 7 1926.

w. A. wElsHTMAN Er AL MECHANISM FOR ASSOCIATING lARTICLES AND BLANKS originalFiled' Sept. 1-5. 1922 Sheets-sheet 2 If Ml mlm" ATTORNEYS.

the appended claims.

"- one iorm'.- g A y Figure lA 1s a fragmentary positional Patented Sept.` 7,.

jumrlffs raras PATENTformes,

WILLIAM AQWEIGHTIIAN AND cnAnLns rrlnr'rson, `orV PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYL- y venia,v AssIGNoasfro cronies se sii/rire; company, or soiirinnnnanE,l ,PENNSYL VANIA, n conronarron or APernis Lenmar.Y a l o t i VVMnonanrsia ronnssocIArInG- An'rrorns AND BLANES.

Original 'application ledseptember 15,' 1922, Serial No. 588,354. 'vded and thsapplcation filedV November 15,1923.

`This application `isa division of' our previous application,"Serial No. 588,354, filed September th, 1922, and relateskv to the mechanismvtherein disclosed for bandlfing arti-cles, here represented by boxesor cartons, and iexible sheets, here representedV by Wrapper sheets, and especially vrorycon@ veying the 'associated articles andsheets and manipulating projecting sheet hereafter vfully explained.

The characteristics and advantages of the present invention are f further `sm'teiently explained in connection vwith the following det-ail description lof the accompanying drawing, which sho'wjcertam exemplify-lng embodiments or" the invention. After considering these, lpersons skilled'in the art willV `umlerstand that many variations may be y -V advancing the article may vary considermade `Within the principles oi the invention, and We contemplate theL employment of any structuresthat are properly Within the scope Vsection embodying the invention in Figure l is vertical, longitudinal of mechanism view. g Y c Figure 2 is a topv plan. Y Figure 3 is a detail of a part of onel of the assembly conveyor chains rand blank olding and pressing fingers thereon-` Figure 4 is a prospective view ofan as' I 'sociated blank vand article, explaining the blank margin turning or folding and press` ingroperation. j f

In the present embodnnentvof they invenf tion the articles handled are suflicientlyY`rep4 resent-ed `by the boxes or cartons A, andv the blanks are suiiciently represented by thel specially out Wrapper blanks B, which are intendedV lto be ycomplerteljy -Wrapped "or folded about the cart'onfwithinterposed adj hesive to form a sealed, Wrappfe'dfpackage.` `The blanks may vary 'greatly 'andV in some vcases may be labels instead of Wrappers.V

The present invention relates only tothe handling or advancing'of successive articles and blanks, bringing them together in4 proper relativepositions-to ormwvhat We call assemblies, maintaining 'the' assemblies (each'consisting of an 'article andl label) in proper relative Y posit-ions While they Vare moved away from the point of assembly con- Aportions as n,

f completesthe folding or' the Wrapper about Vthe article, or the assemblies may be othersein-1A No. 674,884.

tact, and very quicklyturning or folding a projecting portion of the blank and adhesively securing it against an adjacentV face of the article to further positively secure the blank and articlein thev proper relative posi-v tions. The assemblies may then be disposed oi in anysuitable Way, for instance, in the case or anirapping machine, they may be delivered toY Wrapping mechanism WhichV wise treated, depending on the nature ofk the 'article and the blank.

yThe articles are `advanced Yin spaced relation over lsupports or rails l supported ,trom any suitable side frames such as 2, the Vframing ofthe machine not being particnlarly illustrated. Conveying devices for ablybut such conveying means consists in `*the presentinstance of chains 3 running on `Varrangement of the conveyor chains and Y pnshersare described 1n detallan the parent appli-cation above mentioned. Below'the line of article advance a rotary blank platen 6h is mounted on thenshaft 7. This platen hasmovable grippers 8 adjacent to blank stops 9. The grippers are operated by any suitable means, such as Well known cam mechanism. n

In the broader aspect ofv the invention any known or suitable means may be provided forr4 advancing individual blanks in proper .relation to tlie article movement, and for adhesively conditioning the blanks. Such mechanism Vshonldin'clude means for accu# rately registering or positioning the-blanksv to Vinsure their association ,withv the rarticle in the proper relative positions. In the present specific example thek blanks a are'advanced froma stack SY by any suitable feed mechai nicm including a pusher roll 10, and the for- Ward edge of eachblank is brought against a stop ll between feed rolls 12 and 13, and the blank is ,slightly Vbuckled to insure the proper location of its forward edge against Vthe stops, feedroll 13 is then rai-sed to positively grip and advance the blankover a shelr 1d to a glue roll 15. Desirably, the advancing blanks are engaged and positively led by another pair of feed rolls 16 and 17 adjacent to the glue roll. The glue roll is supplied with glue by a dipper roll 18 from a'glue pot 19. rlhe glue roll is adjacent to the lower surface ot the blank platen, and is provided with annular channels 20, in which are located segments or stripper blades 21 mounted on a rod 22, the stripper blades also having part-circular segments 23, closely adjacent the lower surface of the platen. rEhe blank feeding and gluing mechanism is more particularly described in the parent application above identified. Adjacent to the platen is a shaft 25 carrying a plurality ot pulleys 2G and assembly conveying belts 27 run over these pulleys and around the bla-nk platen 6, being accommodated in shallow channels 2S therein.

As the platen grippers 8 approach a point below shalt 7, they are open, and previous to that time an individual blank has been advanced lirom stack S against stops 11, and advanced by the leed rolls 12 and 18, 1G and 17; the forward portion of the blank is diverted upward and the blank passes over the glued surface ot the glue roll 15, and its forward edge is brought against the blank stops 9, on the platen and is then gripped by the grippers 8, which close as the platen advances slightly beyond the stated position. rlhe article pushers 5 are so positioned on the chains 3, that when the forward edge ot' the blank is brought around by the platen to the uppermost position, as shown in F igure 1A, an article ik, moving at the same speed as the surface speed of the platen, is brought into proximity to the glued blank sui-tace, with a forward edge or corner a ot the article adjacent to a part or' the blank some distance rearward ot the it rward blank edge. The article and blank arenow brought in contact with a portion 2') oft the blank, usually a marginal portion of substantial width in the direction ot' assembly movement) projecting beyond the article. ln this movement ot the assembly it is sup- )orted on the upper stretches of conveyor belts 27, the blank resting on the belts and the article resting on the blank` and the up-V per belt stretches are additionally supported by rails or plates 30, which are carried by a traine member 31. lWhere long wrapper blanks are employed, as in the present speeilic instance, a long portion ot the blank trails behind the article. To delinitely retain the article in the proper registered position on the blank, at or just before the moment ot assembly contact the article is brought beneath the upper presser bars or rails 35, which are yieldinglv urged downward by springs 36 surrounding.stems 37 which support the blades, these stems passing through transverse supporting` members tion to the article movement and the articles and blanks are brought togeher in proper registered positions, and are retained in the proper position during movement from the point ot assembly contact on belts 27.

To further definitely secure each article and its blank together and insure the retention of the proper registered positions, an important part ot the invention consists in means and a method for lolding or turning up the projecting blank portion or margin Z1 and pressing it in adhesive contact with an adjacent portion, specifically, .in the present instance, the t'ront vertical tace, ol the article, soon alter assembly contact. This operation is performed in the present embodiment of the invention by lingers d() movably mounted on assembly conveyor chains 11, at least two ol the chains being provided. The number ol' chains may be varied in accordance with the transverse dimension ol1 the articles and other considerations. These chains pass about sprockets 42 on shalt 25 and other sprockets 113 on a shaft lift, suitable ineans being provided lior driving the various moving parts, such as shaltts 7, 25 and lla, the details ol' such driving mechanism not being important in the broader aspect ol the invention, and one representative driving mechanism being sutliciently shown and described in the above identitied parent application. TWhile. the lingers l0 may be variously arranged, desirably there is a pair of ngers being Ytermed in a. body lo which is pivoted on one ol' the pins d6, this pin being extended to form a pivotal mounting tor the two linger bodies .5 at opposite sides oit the chain. Plates L1T are substituted for the ordinary chain links at the points ot connection of the linger bodies and these plates are provided with guides 18 tor plungers di), which are connected to pivoted studs 50 between each pair ol fingers 110. A spring 51 surrounds each plunger and bears against the guide member L18 to urge the connected fingers 40 to upright position. as shown in Figure 2. Each body 15 has a depending member or toe 52. Adjacent to shalt 25 are cam men'ib'ers 53, and as each pressing linger assembly is carried Yforward on the lower stretch ot its chain 11, the toe members 52 engage the surface ot the corresponding cam bodies 53, and the lingers 40 are thus retracted in the direction of chain advance and inwardly toward the chain line, as they move up toward the position shown in Figure 1. Before the lingers l0 reach the position shown in Figure 1, they are 'fully retracted. The upper stretches ot chains d1, ol course, run in the same level and at the same speed as the upper stretches llO of beltsi 27." The projecting 'blank' margins biaretthns-positioned over the retracted iin gers, 'and as theassembly advances further upon the `first portions ofthe-upper stretches `of chainslllgthe ytoe members 52 pass away from Vthe surfaces ofecanis 581 and fingers 40 are elevated springs 51" to practically 'upright position, as shown ati the right inig nres l and 3, thus turning orwfoldingthe i tain the blank margins in `the stated7 pesi# gin y in f position on thearticle.

tion; and? by thetmethe asseinbl'yfis disch arged 1 to `foldingl'mechanism ory any 1 other devices which act` upon A itf, thefadhesivehas set sufficiently to properly retain-the-man rlllie turning or folding ofthe blankv margin and the securing of? it'V to :the upright` article face is accomplished soon= as: possibleA after the original,assembly contact, andtliis method. of aiixing a blank margin very etl'ectively connects the blank and- `artieleand holds them in the propery registered-i positions duringitheirffurther movement. `The pressing bars.. may be extended rearward over chains 41, "or preferably, sepa-rate similar pressing ybars or rails'4 GO'lare locatedaboveY chains 4i! andHspring-pressed into engagement With the upper sur-face ofthe articles, Whi'chserves to hold the"articlesiirmiyL on the blanks as the' assembliesfadva-n-ce withy the chains. Thenpperl'stretches ofchains 4:1 maybe supported-by barsorv rails 70,*car- `point of assembly contact.

anism, sueltas Geneva mechanisnnand in that case the blank margin turn-up ymight i .be performed wvliile'the assembly is at rest.

Therefore, Where, Jinthe claims, reference is madeto the conveyance, advance, or movement of assemblies, and to the turning up of blank portions during such conveyance, ad: vance, or movement, it is not intended there-v by to imply a necessary limitation to con-g tinuous advance, conveyance or movement of the assemblies, since such movement might be, as above stated, temporarily or intermit- `portant feature of Vti mentof the assemblies, the provision of v mea-ns for performing this operation during tlieontinuous assemblymov t is an imH more .limited aspects, andv therefore definitely referto tbe co t, assembly vmovei-nent, during which the turnup operation is performed.

` ldfeclaiin: y n

l. Assembly supporting and manipulating mechanism for blank and article handling machines of theo/lass described, comprising a. conveyor chain, blank-margin manipula-` ting` iingersmounted'thereon and means for retracting and advancing the fingers during movementfofthe chain.

e 2; Assembly supportingandmanipulating mechanismvfor blank and article handlingl machines'of` the class described, compri-sing a conveyor chain,` sprockets supporting and driving-the'chain in a continuous circuit, presser-finger body pivotally mounted onr thek chain, presser lingers carried by the body, a cafm-folloWer'on'the-body, lspring mean-s yforladvancing the fingers to activev position and a'stationary cam to cooperate With the camfollower and retract the fingers as the finger body moves with the chain toward a blank manipulating position.

3. Assembly supporting and manipulating mechanism for blank and article handling machines of the class described, comprising aconveyor chain, sprockets supporting and driving thev chain in a continuous circuit, a presser-finger body pivotally mounted `on the chain, presser fingers carried by the body, a cam follower on the body, spring means for advancing the lingers to active position and a stationary cam to cooperate Wit-h the cam follower and retract the fingers as the iinger body moves with the chain about one of `the sprockets, the cam being arranged to release the follower. and permit advance of the iingers to active-position substantially as ther finger body commences to move with the cam chain along a straight stretch thereof.

- 4:. Assembly supporting and manipulating mechanism for blank and article handling machines of the class described, comprising a plurality of parallel conveyor chains,

llii

blank-margin manipulating lingers mounted thereon and means l'or retracting and advancing the lingers during movement ol the chains.

5. Assembly siuagorting and manipulating mechanism lor blank and article handling' machines ol the class described, comprising a plurality ol' parallel conveyor chains, sprockets supporting and driving the chains in continuous circuits, presser linger bodies pivotally mounted on the chains, presser lingers carried by the bodies, a cam follower on each body, spring means lor advancing.

the lingers to active position, and stationary cams to cooperate with the cam followers and retract the lingers as the linger bodies move with the chains toward a blank ma,- nipulating position. i (i. Assembly supporting and manipulating` mechanism lor blank and article handling machines ol the class described, comprising a plurality ol parallel conveyor chains, sprockets supporting and driving the chains in continuous circuits, presser linger bodies pivot-ally mounted on the chains, -presser lingers carried by the bodies, a cam l'ollowei' on each body, spring means lor advancing the ling-ers to active position, and stationary cams to cooperate with the cam followers and retract the lingers as the linger bodies move with the chains about certain corresponding sprockets, t ie cams being arranged to release the cam followers and permit advance of the lingers to active position substantially as the linger bodies commence to move with the chains along straight stretches thereof.

'7. ln article and blank handling mechanism, a rotary blank platen, an assembly supporting and conveying chain posterior to the platen, movable blank manipulating lingers thereon, a shalt and a sprocket thereon, supporting a bend ol the chain adjacent to the platen, a pulley on said shalt, and an assembly supporting belt passing about said pulley and the platen to support an assembly in movement from the platen to the chain.

8. ln article and blank handling mechanism, a rotary blank platen, parallel assembly supporting and conveying chains posterior to the platen, movable blank manipulating lingers thereon, a shal't and sprockets hereon supporting bends ol the chain adjacent to the platen, pulleys on said shalt, and assembly supporting belts passing about said pulleys and the platen to support an assembly in movement lrom the platen to the chains.

S). Assembly support-ing and manipulating mechanism lor blank and article handling machines, comprising conveyor mechanism and blank margin manipulating lingers, and means lor retracting and advancing the lingers in timed relation to movement ol' the conveyor mechanism.

10. Assembly supporting and manipulating mechanism for blank and article liandling machines, comprising a` conveyor, blank margin manipulating means thereon, and means lor operating said blank margin manipulating means in delinite relation to the conveyor movement.

Signed at Philadelphia, in the county ol Pniladelphia and State ol Pennsylvania this 3rd day oli' November A. D. 1923.

lVlLLll-XM A. VEIGHTMAN. CHAR-LES l-l. NITSCH. 

